The world got a taste of what Roki Sasaki could do during the World Baseball Classic, and on Wednesday night Sasaki reminded everyone what he was capable of again. 

The Chiba Lotte Marines ace threw a gem, striking out 14 batters through seven innings and topping out at 103 miles per hour.

Sasaki threw 104 pitches before he exited a 5-3 win over the Pacific League-leading Orix Buffaloes. 

“Our team scoring five runs allowed me to throw at my own pace,” Sasaki told the Japan Times. “It really helped.”

Sasaki has a 1.48 ERA in 77 innings pitched this season and has struck out at least seven batters in his 12 starts in 2023.

He has given up just one home run this season.

The 21-year-old Japanese phenom has drawn comparisons to superstar two-way player Shohei Ohtani and Sasaki is expected to make the jump to the majors no later than 2027. 

“For the Major Leagues,” Sasaki said told reporters at the WBC in March, according to MLB.com. “Rather than the timing, I think I will play in Japan, and then I think something will become clear when I’m going to shift over.”

The international bonus pool restrictions for MLB teams under the Japanese posting system don’t lift until the 2027 season, but that doesn’t necessarily prevent him from making the jump earlier similar to what Ohtani previously did. 

Sasaki went 9-4 with a 2.02 ERA and 173 strikeouts in his first full NPB season.

The youngster also threw a 19-strikeout perfect game on April 10, 2022, which was just the 16th perfect game in NBP history.